Carica papaya seed extract (CPE) was used in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in this study. For the characterization of biosynthesized particles, UV-vis spectroscopy, FTIR, FESEM and EDX were used. Antimicrobial and larvicidal efficacies of the synthesized AgNPs were assessed in the fight against certain pathogens and the Aedes aegypti 4th instar larvae. The absorption spectrum of AgNPs peaked at 433 nm with a broad peak of 3000 to 3800 cm−1 for different functional groups as presented in the FTIR analysis. A FESEM evaluation revealed a number of spherical particle structures with an average of 20-69 nm. With zones of inhibition between 10-24 mm, the AgNPs synthesized inhibited selected microorganisms. After 12 h of exposure, the nanoparticles had LC50 and LC90 lethal concentration on the Aedes aegypti larva at 14.56 and 33.89 μg/ml respectively. This study demonstrates possibility of using Carica papaya seeds in AgNPs synthesis.

Processing of Dioscorea dumetorum hardened tubers into flour could be a means of adding a longer-term value to this tropical plant with a high nutritional potential, but which presents a postharvest hardening problem characterized by a hard-to-cook defect. In an attempt to investigate the changes leading to salts soaking treatment of hardened tubers, the central composite rotatable design for K= 2 was used to study the combined effect of NaCl concentration (0% to 6%) and pH (4 to 10) on tubers cooked hardness, and 6 kanwa alkaline salt concentrations (1:3 (w/v); 0%, 0.2%, 0.5%, 0.8%, 1%, and 1.5%; pH 11.3 +/- 0.2) were used to study the effect of kanwa treatment on tuber cooked hardness and functional properties of resulting flours. The results showed that salts soaking treatment significantly decreased (P

The digestibility and metabolism in school age children of diets from two yam species (D. dumetorum and D. rotundata) are compared. Ten boys aged 65 to 84 months, with heights and weights close to NCHS reference values, were fed meals deriving half of their protein and almost all of their starch from either of the two yam species. After 6 days of adaptation, food intake, stool and urine were collected for 4 days and analysed. Feeding diet based on D. dumetorum resulted in higher apparent protein digestibility, net protein retention and net protein utilisation of 63.5, 46.2 and 29.8, respectively, compared to 56.1, 36.1 and 20.6 for D. rotundatabased diet.

There is a continuous need to improve hydrocarbon recovery efficiency especially from a brown asset, with a view to extending the life of the asset with reasonable operating cost in order to deliver sustained profit to the business. This is made even more imperative due to the dwindling crude oil prices and an operating environment with ever increasing challenges especially in the area of security, asset integrity, frequent deferment due to export line vandalism and crude theft, and community disturbances. All these factors result in most companies operating within the Niger Delta environment and by extension the country at large not being able to create robust production forecasts to support their annual business plans. In the end, actual annual average crude production ends up much lower in most cases than the projected plan. The big question however is: How do we build robust forecasting models that can better predict our business outcomes in the Niger Delta? This paper seeks to demonstrate the possibilities available within the Nigerian space, all driven and developed with indigenous capabilities, of how this problem was successfully solved for a major asset, operated by a leading indigenous Exploration and Production company through active collaboration with another leading indigenous Petroleum Engineering software solutions provider.

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